Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry duo killed in helicopter crash

Troy Gentry, of the country band Montgomery Gentry, was killed Friday just before the duo were set to perform.

Author:
Maria Puente, USA TODAY , TEGNA

Published:
4:19 PM EDT September 8, 2017

Updated:
4:19 PM EDT September 8, 2017

Troy Gentry, of the country band Montgomery Gentry, was killed in a New Jersey helicopter crash Friday just before the duo were set to perform. He was 50.

The band confirmed his death in the crash in Medford, N.J. about 1 pm, but had no details of the crash.

The Flying W Airport & Resort in Medford announced in a Facebook post that the popular band's show for Friday night had been canceled. The airport also houses a resort, where the concert was going to be held.

The band's tweet said Gentry's family thanked fans for "kind thoughts and prayers" and asked for privacy.

The Courier-Post in New Jersey reported that aircraft went down at the Flying W Airport with two people on board.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration told the Courier-Post a Schweitzer 269 "crashed in a wooded area off the end of runway 1," and that the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board would soon begin an investigation into the incident.